He was already in the Bronco, starting the engine. Callie had quickly realized that Nate Wright was a man who took his time making a decision, but once he’d settled on his course, he was quick to follow it. She had to be fast, or he’d be in trouble.

Before he had a chance to back out, she swung open the door and slammed into the passenger seat.

“Damn it, Callie, who is minding the store?” His lips thinned, and he looked pointedly at the station house. He was not amused by the sign she’d made when Rye had been sheriff. He’d been famous for his fishing afternoons.

Callie didn’t argue. It wouldn’t help to point out that no one would think a thing about the station not being manned. If there was trouble, they would call her on the radio or her cell. Nate hadn’t left his big city mentality behind. She leaned across him and grabbed the radio. “Logan, this is Callie. I need you to get back to the station house.”

There was a slight pause. “Is he still there?”

She felt Nate stiffen beside her. Well, if he wanted his staff to like him, he should be less rude. Hell, she didn’t like him most of the time, and she’d slept with him. Not that anyone knew that except Stefan. “No, Logan. It’s safe. He’s going out on a call, and I’m going to make sure he doesn’t cause trouble.”

Callie could hear his voice lighten. “Then I’ll be right there.”

She would make sure to put a call into the station before they went back. More than once, she’d found Logan taking a nice little nap on one of the cell cots. She didn’t think Nate would find it amusing. Callie replaced the radio as Nate backed out.

“I swear I should fire you all. I’ve never been in such a shoddily run operation before.” He kept his eyes on the road in front of him.

“Or you should feel free to head right back to the big city where everything is sunshine and roses.” She kind of wished he would leave. It would be infinitely easier on her. Logan could be sheriff, and as long as absolutely nothing ever happened, everything would be all right. Of course, if anything went wrong, they were screwed. Still, she might be willing to take the risk.

“At least in Dallas we don’t mollycoddle crazy people.”

She was rapidly getting fed up with the sheriff’s bad temper. He took it out on everyone, but since she was with him all the time, she got the brunt of it. “Well, if it helps at all, you won’t have to worry about me for too much longer.”

The Bronco stopped suddenly. Callie was glad she’d slipped on the safety belt, or she might have flown through the window. “What does that mean?”

She shouldn’t have mentioned it. And why not? It wasn’t like he hadn’t made his displeasure of her services plain. She turned in her seat to look him in the eye. He was so gorgeous it hurt. She wondered what had happened to Zane. She’d asked, and he’d refused to answer. She hadn’t brought it up again, but she thought of him often. “It means I’ll be turning in my notice soon.” She’d promised Stefan she would stay for awhile. A month seemed long enough. She’d give him two weeks to find someone else. It was time to move on. She just wasn’t sure where she was moving to.

“Why?”

She softened slightly. “You know why. You’re not happy with me. I’ll find something new, and you can find an assistant you trust.” She wondered if he wouldn’t give Laura Niles a call. She worked at the Stop ’n’ Shop, but Callie had heard talk of her working for the FBI before she came to Bliss. Maybe Nate would ask to try out the tall blonde. She was willowy with light blue eyes. Perhaps that was Nate’s type. Hell, that was pretty much every man’s type. There wasn’t much of a call for plump brunettes, no matter how comfy they were in their own skin.

“I trust you.”

She laughed but was well aware nothing about this mess was funny. “You can’t stand me, Sheriff. I’m not an idiot. I have no idea why Stefan thought this would work. I’ll be honest, I don’t know why it hasn’t, either, but it isn’t working. So I’ll move on. I promise to make the transition as easy as possible.”

He swallowed before he opened his mouth to talk. “I don’t want a transition. I was just surprised to see you again.” He turned his attention back to the road and started driving toward Mel’s. “I’ll settle down. I just need a little time. You’ll see.”

It was the first opening she’d had since he came to town. It bugged her, his displeasure at seeing her again. They’d had a nice time. It had been the best weekend of her life. She had no illusions that he felt the same way, but she had thought he’d enjoyed himself. “Why were you so angry to see me?”

“I wasn’t angry.”

He was going to be difficult. She wasn’t surprised. She decided to push it. She was leaving anyway. If he got really pissed, maybe he would fire her, and she wouldn’t have an excuse to hang around anymore. “You sure were. I don’t understand. I didn’t make a nuisance of myself. I didn’t call you or anything.” Not that she could have. They hadn’t left a number. Just a note. Have a good life. It hadn’t been that great so far.

She watched as his hands tightened on the steering wheel. His eyes stared ahead, but she knew how uncomfortable this whole conversation was making him. If he’d been Zane, he would have turned to her by now and told her to stop asking him so many damn questions. But this was Nate, and he’d try to smooth things over. It was funny. She’d spent two days with them a long time ago, but she felt like she knew them so well. It was an illusion.

His voice was soft now. “Callie, I wasn’t mad. I was surprised, that’s all. I don’t want you to leave. Where are you going to work? Logan is right about the diner.”

She hadn’t exactly figured that out yet, but she knew she had to make a change. Since her mom died last year, she’d been in a bit of a fog. Five years of taking care of her had left Callie a bit dazed. She loved that her mother had managed to last so long before the cancer had come back and ravaged her body, but the long-term care had taken its toll. Callie felt like her life was on hold, and it was time to move forward. She owed it to her mom and herself. “Well, I was thinking about moving to Denver. I talked to Marie the other day. She knows how to sell property. I thought I’d put my cabin up for sale.”

Marie had been really upset at the thought of her moving. She and Teeny, her life partner, ran the general store and had known Callie all of her life. It hurt Callie’s heart to think of leaving Bliss, but there was nothing for her here. She would never get married if she stayed. She would be surrounded by friends, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted what Max and Rye had found with Rachel. She wanted a family.

The Bronco turned up the steep road that led to Mel’s cabin. Nate was very careful on the mountain passes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You’re a small town girl, Callie. The big city would eat you up.”

She smiled at the thought. “At least somebody would.” It had been so long since she had sex she couldn’t remember what it felt like.

Nate stopped the car again. “Are you telling me you’re leaving your home because you want to get laid?” His voice held a hint of outrage, and Callie nearly laughed at the prim set of his mouth.

“Well, I’ve heard worse reasons.” She didn’t have to justify herself to Sheriff Wright, but she found it almost impossible not to respond. “There’s no one for me here in Bliss. Unless I want to sleep with Logan, I’m pretty much on my own. And I really don’t want to sleep with Logan, though he’s tried.” It had been sweet, but she’d had to turn him down.

“He did what?” Nate threw the car into park and was reaching for the radio.

Callie swatted his hand away. “What is your problem?”

“What’s my problem? How about the fact that my deputy is hitting on my…secretary? It’s wrong. It’s setting us all up for a lawsuit.” He reached for the radio again. Again Callie slapped his hand aside. He sat up and started the car moving again. “You’re right. I shouldn’t warn him that I fully intend to kick his ass. It might send him running.”

Callie could see Mel’s cabin in the distance. “You want some advice?”

“No.”

“Well, you’re getting it.” If she was quitting, she might as well go out with a bang. “Stop being such a jerk. You’re getting a worse reputation than Max. If you don’t watch it, these people will vote you out of office next year.”

He snorted. “I’d like to see them try. Who are they going to elect? Logan? That boy can’t get his head out of a comic book long enough to put his name on the ballot.”

“Well, Nell said she might run.” It was just what Bliss needed, a pacifist sheriff.

Nate threw his head back and laughed. It was the first genuine laugh she’d heard out of him since he’d walked into town. It lit his face and made her wonder what happened to the sweet, funny man who’d taken her virginity with such care.

“Losing an election to Nell would be like losing to a Disney princess. I swear, I expect small woodland creatures to follow that one around. And she wouldn’t wear the uniform.”

Callie smiled. The idea was funny. “She wouldn’t. Polyester isn’t natural, and the shoes don’t fit with the vegan lifestyle. But, seriously, Nate, if you don’t watch it, they could run a rubber duck against you and that duck would win.”

Nate turned up the long drive, the car tilting back as the four wheel drive took over. “Good luck with the duck, then, baby.” He stopped as though startled he’d used the term of endearment. “Sorry. I’ll try to do the job to the best of my ability. I just don’t think a lot of the people around here will appreciate it.”

They were quiet the rest of the drive. Callie forced herself to turn away from the sheriff. He was too lovely, too remote. What had happened to him? She wondered which one was the real Nate Wright. The playful, sweet lover she’d known years ago, or the hard, distant lawman she’d had in her life for the past two weeks. She’d asked Stefan, and all she could get out of him was that Nate had worked with the federal government and wanted a quieter job. You didn’t get much quieter on the law enforcement front than Bliss. Of course, there were other things to consider.